11 Most Endangered Historic Places

Over-the-Rhine Neighborhood

Significance

The dense, compact urban environment known as Over-the-Rhine is just north of Cincinnati's central business district. Starting around 1830, a large number of German immigrants settled in an area to the north and east of the Miami and Erie Canal where land was readily available and affordable for working-class families. The Canal came to be referred to euphemistically as the "Rhine," and the area on the other side, "Over-the-Rhine." The architecture in the area reflects the diverse styles of the time -- simple vernacular, muted Greek Revival, Italianate and Queen Anne. The buildings range from row houses to mixed commercial/residential structures and free-standing commercial, industrial and institutional structures including churches, a music hall, beer gardens and breweries. The district's Findlay Market is the only historic public market building still open in the city. The distinctive mid-to-late-19th-century urban architecture in Over-the-Rhine is in danger due to a combination of inadequate planning, low levels of home ownership and a reduced business presence because of rampant crime, reluctance of investors to commit to renewal and renovation, and an increasing pattern of demolition as authorities seek to address public safety concerns.

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The National Trust's List of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places